Popular BBC programmes, including Doctor Who, Top Gear, Torchwood and Little Britain, will be available to Netflix subscribers in the UK, following an agreement struck with the corporation’s commercial arm, BBC Worldwide.

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The on-demand service will be able to stream content to users six months after it is broadcast on the BBC.

Classic shows, such as Fawlty Towers and Miss Marple, are also included in the deal.

Already well established in the United States, online video streaming service Netflix is set to launch in the UK early next year and has brokered a string of partnerships in recent months.

Deals with film distributors Miramax, Lionsgate UK and MGM have already been agreed and Netflix is in talks with broadcasters including ITV and Channel 4.

Ted Sarandos, chief content officer at Netflix, said: “BBC programmes are a big favourite of our over 20 million streaming members in the US, Canada and Latin America.

“We are incredibly proud to make these high-quality programmes available to Netflix members in the UK and Ireland.”

The deal between Netflix and the BBC is not exclusive – BBC Worldwide has similar agreements with some of the company’s main competitors in the UK, including Virgin Media, BT Vision and BlinkBox.

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Steve Macallister, managing director of sales and distribution at BBC Worldwide, said: “UK audiences have really grasped the experience that online viewing can bring, and our programming has proven to be particularly popular with this digital audience.”